Methods in Comparative Effectiveness Research

<p>Comparative effectiveness research (CER) is the generation and synthesis of evidence that compares the benefits and harms of alternative methods to prevent diagnose treat and monitor a clinical condition or to improve the delivery of care (IOM 2009). CER is conducted to develop evidence that will aid patients clinicians purchasers and health policy makers in making informed decisions at both the individual and population levels. CER encompasses a very broad range of types of studies—experimental observational prospective retrospective and research synthesis. </p><p></p><p>This volume covers the main areas of quantitative methodology for the design and analysis of CER studies. The volume has four major sections—causal inference; clinical trials; research synthesis; and specialized topics. The audience includes CER methodologists quantitative-trained researchers interested in CER and graduate students in statistics epidemiology and health services and outcomes research. The book assumes a masters-level course in regression analysis and familiarity with clinical research. </p><p></p>